Warren Redman Ryan (born 27 October 1941) is an Australian former professional
rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...
football coach and player. He is considered one of the most influential rugby league coaches of the 20th century. Ryan also played in the
NSWRFL Premiership for the
St George Dragons
The St. George Dragons are an Australian rugby league, rugby league football club from the St George, Sydney, St George District in Sydney, New South Wales that played in the top level New South Wales Rugby League, New South Wales competition ...
and
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks.
He was formerly employed as a
color commentator by
ABC Radio 702 for its Rugby League coverage. Ryan also formerly contributed opinion articles to the Brisbane ''
Courier-Mail
''The Courier-Mail'' is an Australian newspaper published in Brisbane. Owned by News Corp Australia, it is published daily from Monday to Saturday in tabloid format. Its editorial offices are located at Bowen Hills, in Brisbane's inner norther ...
'' and ''
Newcastle Herald''.
Athletics
Ryan was also an elite track and field athlete, representing Australia in the
1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in the
shot put
The shot put is a track-and-field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical Ball (sports), ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. For men, the sport has been a part of the Olympic Games, modern Olympics since their 1896 Summer Olym ...
coming seventh in a field of sixteen with a throw of .
Ryan accredits his famous attention to detail in his coaching to his Czech-born track coach of this time.
Rugby league playing career
Warren Ryan was a
St. George Dragons lower grade player. He played in the Dragons 1965 reserve grade grand final, and appeared in first grade on a number of occasions as a replacement during 1966.
In 1967, he switched to the
Cronulla Sharks in their debut season and became a regular in first grade, and was club Captain at different times during 1967–68.
In 1969 he moved to Wollongong Wests and had four seasons there, the final two as captain-coach. He captained
NSW Country in 1972.
Coaching career
Ryan coached Collegians in 1974, and then Wests Under 23s.
He took over as coach of Newtown in 1979 and took them to the 1981 Grand Final.
Ryan moved over to Canterbury, coaching them to premierships in 1984 and 1985. He resigned from the club in 1987.
Ryan moved to Balmain and took them to grand finals in 1988 and 1989.
Ryan went to Wests, and took them to fourth position in 1991, the year he won the 'Dally M' Coach of the Year.
Ryan took over as Newcastle coach for two years in 1999.
Broadcaster and journalist
''Daily Telegraph'' journalist Dean Ritchie once wrote, "Abrasive and rude, Ryan hated the media. And I think those feelings were reciprocated." However Ryan had a long media career.
Warren Ryan wrote for the ''
Sydney Morning Herald
''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, Australia, and owned by Nine Entertainment. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper in ...
'' for many years as a sports journalist. He is also a former member of the ABC Grandstand rugby league commentary team; where, rather than calling the match play itself, he supplied
special comments throughout the broadcast.
Ryan used the term "old darky" during the call of an NRL match between the Roosters and Bulldogs. He claimed he was quoting a scene from ''
Gone with the Wind Gone with the Wind most often refers to:
* Gone with the Wind (novel), ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell
* Gone with the Wind (film), ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel
Gone with the Wind ...
''. After listeners' complaints, he was stood down from the ABC with his colleague
David Morrow pending an investigation. The scene he claimed to refer to is the 'quittin' time' scene in which a slave calls quittin' time, presuming the role of the foreman. Having asserted his rights, the foreman immediately calls 'quittin' time!' The incident involving Ryan made headlines, while notable indigenous leaders called for an investigation. While the investigation continued, Warren Ryan resigned. He had intended to retire at the end of the 2014 season, but brought it forward rather than face the results. Refusing to address the use of a racist term, Ryan said, "The word used to describe the character was a direct quote from the film. There was no offence intended, so I won't be apologising. It would be insincere. Furthermore, there is no appeasing those who are determined to be offended. So that's it. I've had a long run and, for the most part, it's been very enjoyable."
He proposed his own finals system, an alternative to McIntyre Final Eight and AFL, but it was not accepted.
Personal life
In addition to his rugby league career, Ryan was also a long-time physical education teacher at Belmore Boys High School in Sydney's southwest.
In April 2006, Ryan's son Matthew died of heart failure at age 24 following an overdose of the party drug, ''
gamma hydroxybutyrate'' (GHB).
On 11 November 2016, Ryan was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm after an altercation at Pagewood Hotel. Ryan had allegedly assaulted the 75-year-old man over an argument regarding the outcome of the
2016 United States presidential election
United States presidential election, Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 8, 2016. The Republican Party (United States), Republican ticket of businessman Donald Trump and Indiana Governor, Indiana governor Mike P ...
.
On 23 October 2017, Ryan was found guilty of
common assault
Common assault is an offence in English law. It is committed by a person who causes another person to apprehend the immediate use of unlawful violence by the defendant. In England and Wales, the penalty and mode of trial for this offence is pro ...
at Waverley Local Court and was put on a 12-month
good behavior bond.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ryan, Warren
1941 births
Living people
Athletes (track and field) at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
Australian male shot putters
Australian people convicted of assault
Australian people of Irish descent
Australian rugby league coaches
Australian rugby league commentators
Australian rugby league players
Australian schoolteachers
Balmain Tigers coaches
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs coaches
Commonwealth Games competitors for Australia
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks players
Newcastle Knights coaches
Newtown Jets coaches
Place of birth missing (living people)
Rugby league centres
Rugby league locks
St. George Dragons players
Western Suburbs Magpies coaches
Australian sportspeople convicted of crimes
20th-century Australian sportsmen